Educators throughout the state say Virginia public schools continue to experience difficulties filling vacant teacher positions, while classes continue to be overcrowded and teachers continue to be overworked.
“About seven years ago, we all assumed there would be a teacher shortage because people who had been in the classroom for 20 and 25 years would be retiring, and we weren’t sure there would be enough teachers to replace them,” said Leila Christenbury, chair of VCU’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “There continues to be shortages in the areas of math, science and special education.”
According to the Virginia Department of Education Web site, 291 vacant educational positions exist in schools throughout Virginia including 25 in special education.
“The needs for special-education teachers are expanding, so we will definitely need more special-education teachers,” said Risa Bernholtz, a special-education teacher at George Mason Elementary in Richmond. “I’ve been teaching special education for 24 years, and throughout my experience I’ve seen the number of students grow.”
Christenbury said the 2002 study titled “No Dream Denied” conducted by the National Commission of Teaching and America’s Future indicated the shortage occurred because people failed to remain in the teaching profession rather than people declining to become teachers.
“In 2004,” she said, “14 percent of teachers in Virginia left after their first year of teaching, while 24 percent left after their second year and 33 percent left after their third.”
Wayne Scott, principal of George Mason Elementary, said some go into teaching thinking that’s what they want to do for the rest of their lives, but once they get into the classrooms the experience is not what they thought it would be.
“What they find in textbooks are not real-life experiences,” he said.
Angela Graves, a second grade teacher at George Mason Elementary, said she had considered resigning after her first year of teaching because of the administration.
“My passion for the kids forced me to stay,” she said.
VCU’s School of Education’s enrollment has increased the past few years.
“We have experienced 100 percent increase in both our master’s of teaching and master’s of education programs since 1999,” Christenbury said. “Our graduation rate is also almost 100 percent.” She cited the numbers saying that 62 students were admitted in the master’s program in 1999 and 135 in 2003.
Rural areas schools tend to suffer from the shortage more than suburban area schools sometimes because suburban schools have more resources.
“Only three computers work in my classroom,” Graves said.
VCU’s education school offers information sessions that include topics involving programs and incentives for people to become more interested in becoming teachers as well as mentors.
“I chose to become an educator to encourage students like some of my teachers encouraged me,” said La Claire Byrd, a foreign language major who plans to enroll in the education school’s five-year degree program this fall.
Christenbury said the best incentive is to make a difference in a child’s life.
“Spending your life in a classroom is a good life,” she said.